If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You have to register
before you can post. To do so, click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Please do not post any copyrighted images or content without permission from the owner of those images or content. If you are unsure if an image or content is copyright protected, do not post it. When posting images from Google's image search, be sure to utilize the ability to filter by Usage Rights. This is located under Tools > Usage Rights. Any materials that infringe on any owner's Intellectual Property rights will be promptly removed.

Ironic. We're the people that left the people that left but they want us to be like the first board, and wonder why people aren't active.

Very hard for any board to survive long term if it doesn't have the ability to add new posters. From what I saw the posters there liked the board but without an administrator they were not able to add any new posters for years.

Very hard for any board to survive long term if it doesn't have the ability to add new posters. From what I saw the posters there liked the board but without an administrator they were not able to add any new posters for years.

This is something forums across the entire internet are struggling with. Even the giants. Twitter, Facebook, even Disqus have taken over.

Very hard for any board to survive long term if it doesn't have the ability to add new posters. From what I saw the posters there liked the board but without an administrator they were not able to add any new posters for years.

This board was strong when it was allowed to be.
Added a ton of mods, all wanting say, and it censored the discussion and ... then it got boring and people left. No longer unique and original.

Same thing with WBB, too. Once it gets popular, admin wants to change it up. It's been an epic failure for both.

This is something forums across the entire internet are struggling with. Even the giants. Twitter, Facebook, even Disqus have taken over.

Very true.

I post on a handful of boards (completely different topics) and all have taken a hit over the past 5 years by Facebook and Twitter.
I don't do either of them so I stick to and enjoy a handful of boards.

Not (meaning to) kiss ass here but this is by far the best looking and running board I visit by far. I do much more reading than posting here too and think the information and opinions provided here are both interesting and useful.

Actually Josh, let me apologize for snapping at you before. I don't really appreciate you publicity criticizing something I deeply care about the way you did, but I'm open to hearing you out if you have something constructive to share.

I think thats part of the issue - we can no longer be constructive without being persecuted.

Listen, I'm not here to read my own opinions. I don't think anyone is. Unfortunately, at times, it doesn't seem like you can express your opinion.

We've all been guilty of attacking others for their views, label them ignorant, uninformed, never played the game, etc etc. But I've rarely seen people unwilling to debate opinions of others, when allowed.

What made this a brotherhood was our brotherhood. We have brothers/friends that you can sit there and scream at each other regarding opinions, and two seconds laters you agree about something else, everything cool and no ones mad... you know its someones opinion and not life or death. You joke, you laugh, you poke fun. Just like you do in real life with your brothers and friends.

I think thats part of the issue - we can no longer be constructive without being persecuted.

Listen, I'm not here to read my own opinions. I don't think anyone is. Unfortunately, at times, it doesn't seem like you can express your opinion.

We've all been guilty of attacking others for their views, label them ignorant, uninformed, never played the game, etc etc. But I've rarely seen people unwilling to debate opinions of others, when allowed.

What made this a brotherhood was our brotherhood. We have brothers/friends that you can sit there and scream at each other regarding opinions, and two seconds laters you agree about something else, everything cool and no ones mad... you know its someones opinion and not life or death. You joke, you laugh, you poke fun. Just like you do in real life with your brothers and friends.

Thats how and why I thought this board was founded.

My goal has never been (and still isn't) to prevent anyone from sharing their thoughts/opinions. The thing I've tried to drive home for years is that how we share our opinions is what matters most. If a user has tremendous insight on a subject and writes a small novel, but the entire thing hinges on insulting everyone reading the post/thread, neither I nor the Staff are persecuting that user by removing the thread or giving them an infraction. We're stopping he or she from persecuting others. Mike came close with his Learn the Game thread. It's why I said what I said to him in the thread about being really careful what words he uses. It's not what he had to say we had a problem with. It was potentially how he was saying it.

I can't claim to always have done right by this, because I'm sure there have been mistakes made in our history, but I've never intentionally targeted a user because I disagreed with their politics (on any topic). Quite the opposite, in fact. I've tried to encourage members to share their opinions, especially if they differ from consensus.

Believe me, I'm not blind to the optics. I know that it hasn't always looked this way. It's actually played a heavy part in how I've recruited moderators to the group, specifically to combat the idea of a clique, or of creating any kind of hive mind. It's why I brought Dave in. It's why I brought Puck Head in. It's why I brought Future in.

Again, I'm open to suggestions. Are there specific examples or ideas you have that you think will help?

My goal has never been (and still isn't) to prevent anyone from sharing their thoughts/opinions. The thing I've tried to drive home for years is that how we share our opinions is what matters most. If a user has tremendous insight on a subject and writes a small novel, but the entire thing hinges on insulting everyone reading the post/thread, neither I nor the Staff are persecuting that user by removing the thread or giving them an infraction. We're stopping he or she from persecuting others. Mike came close with his Learn the Game thread. It's why I said what I said to him in the thread about being really careful what words he uses. It's not what he had to say we had a problem with. It was potentially how he was saying it.

I can't claim to always have done right by this, because I'm sure there have been mistakes made in our history, but I've never intentionally targeted a user because I disagreed with their politics (on any topic). Quite the opposite, in fact. I've tried to encourage members to share their opinions, especially if they differ from consensus.

Believe me, I'm not blind to the optics. I know that it hasn't always looked this way. It's actually played a heavy part in how I've recruited moderators to the group, specifically to combat the idea of a clique, or of creating any kind of hive mind. It's why I brought Dave in. It's why I brought Puck Head in. It's why I brought Future in.

Again, I'm open to suggestions. Are there specific examples or ideas you have that you think will help?

Let's Have Another Conversation

Conversation is becoming an endangered species in our society. Allowed to evolve unchecked, humans may find that our ears no longer work generations from now. Theyíre not needed when people donít use them as part of the communication tools we were all born with. Terrible stuff that evolution.

WBB was fun until the troll(s) took over and hijacked nearly every thread. Even good natured jabs turned into multi-page wars spewing personal venom. That wasnít fun to read and on its own, became quite boring. Donít ever let that happen here.

Mods play an important role in the community but only to a point. Civility and decorum are on us first, the posters at large. Maybe itís somewhat fun or funny to blast an opinion every once in a while. But itís only when people really listen to one another and get to (virtually) know each other, that occasional gaffs are tolerated if not even wholly understood. Part of that human condition thing I guess.

If itís not fun or not informative or not providing a platform for acceptable/tolerable expression, then WTF are we all doing here?